A BASINGSTOKE man has pleaded guilty to his involvement in a gang that used a Grade II-listed stately home as a £5million cannabis farm.

Paul Whelan, 50, of Winterthur Way, Basingstoke, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and possession of cannabis.

He was one of five men to have pleaded guilty to their involvement in the operation at Flass House on the outskirts of the village of Maulds Meaburn, Cumbria.

On Tuesday, three other men were found guilty of conspiracy to supply the drug between May 2011 and May 2012.

Owner of the house, Paul Davies, 64, was paid to rent it out to the other gang members.

The cannabis farm, which had the Class B drug growing in 10 rooms of the house, was said to have had a street value of over £5 million.

Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, Isla Chilton, said it had been a professional operation described as "an extremely large cannabis farm in a quiet village in the heart of Cumbria".

She added: "This was a professional set up, whereby cannabis was being grown in at least 10 rooms in the house. A large diesel generator was bought in to power the electricity needed to maintain the plants in order to avoid unusually high utility bills.

"The owner of the house, Paul Davies, was paid handsomely for renting it out to the other gang members specifically for the purpose of growing cannabis.

"The CPS and police are dedicated to bringing to justice those involved in producing and supplying drugs and will continue to work together using the proceeds of crime act to trace and recover any profits they have made from this illicit enterprise."

Philip Branigan, 32, of Banstead Close, Surrey, Charles Neophytou, 47, of Hutton Grove, London, and Dean Cameron, 53, Whitehall Park Road, London, were found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class B.

David Lawrence, 32, of Barton Meadows, Ilford, Essex, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B.

Lee Banks, 32, of Coversham Road, London, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B and possession of Class B with intent to supply.

Mark Gallagher, 49, of Wolverhampton Road East, Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B, offering to supply class B, possession of Class B with intent to supply, fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of Class C and abstracting electricity.

Davies pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B.